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I just thought to recount a true incident that happened to me a few years ago (sorry if it’s a bit long).

At the time I was living in Crete. One morning I was sitting up at the counter of an empty taverna writing a postcard to a friend. We had a game where we translated short sayings we liked into ancient Greek so they could be deciphered. (yes, geeky ) I’d also been pondering where to find a good spiritual teacher.

Anyway, an attractive young couple walked in and sat up at the counter beside me. They were well dressed and had an air of wealth about them. They ordered coffee and continued (openly) having a passionate row!

In their defence, I am very pale/fair in appearance and they naturally assumed I didn’t understand the language.

It transpired they were brother and sister. The brother (younger) had fallen in love with a girl who the sister regarded as ‘a villager’ – ‘peasant’. She ranted at him that the girl was not appropriate to marry into their family. It was obvious to her that she was only after their money. His only choice was to have his ‘fun’ with her until he found a woman of breeding to marry. The brother was sombre, trying to plead his case that he loved this girl.

Eventually, the sister flounced off to the ‘ladies room’ leaving her brother in low spirits, staring into his coffee cup. He glanced over at my postcard and asked me (in English) what I was doing. I explained about the game and asked if he would check if my translation was right.

(A few days ago I posted the saying on the ‘giving thanks’ thread:-
“Today I have bought bread and been given red roses.
How happy I am to hold both in my hands.”
By the Japanese haiku poet Kitahara Hakusha)

He translated aloud (in English - correctly), then said he wasn’t sure if it was right because he didn’t understand what it meant. I explained that I thought it was about simple pleasures in life. That this is really all we need to be happy.

His eyes cleared and he jumped to his feet saying, ‘Thank you! Thank you!’

Bewildered, I watched him run to the door. He stopped, turned, ran back to me, bowed (as if to a deity) and announced “Thank you!’ before turning again and running off.

I sat stunned, realising I’d just been used as a messenger. The young man hadn’t bowed to me, he’d bowed to the One he recognised working through me. I’d had no input, intent or gift of a teacher. I had simply been a tool.

But I had been left with a gift also – the answer to my question about finding a teacher.

There is only one.

And
“When the student is ready, the Master appears.”

And that One can work in and through every culture, every religion, every language and every …thing.

I just thought to recount a true incident that happened to me a few years ago (sorry if it’s a bit long).

At the time I was living in Crete. One morning I was sitting up at the counter of an empty taverna writing a postcard to a friend. We had a game where we translated short sayings we liked into ancient Greek so they could be deciphered. (yes, geeky ) I’d also been pondering where to find a good spiritual teacher.

Anyway, an attractive young couple walked in and sat up at the counter beside me. They were well dressed and had an air of wealth about them. They ordered coffee and continued (openly) having a passionate row!

In their defence, I am very pale/fair in appearance and they naturally assumed I didn’t understand the language.

It transpired they were brother and sister. The brother (younger) had fallen in love with a girl who the sister regarded as ‘a villager’ – ‘peasant’. She ranted at him that the girl was not appropriate to marry into their family. It was obvious to her that she was only after their money. His only choice was to have his ‘fun’ with her until he found a woman of breeding to marry. The brother was sombre, trying to plead his case that he loved this girl.

Eventually, the sister flounced off to the ‘ladies room’ leaving her brother in low spirits, staring into his coffee cup. He glanced over at my postcard and asked me (in English) what I was doing. I explained about the game and asked if he would check if my translation was right.

(A few days ago I posted the saying on the ‘giving thanks’ thread:-
“Today I have bought bread and been given red roses.
How happy I am to hold both in my hands.”
By the Japanese haiku poet Kitahara Hakusha)

He translated aloud (in English - correctly), then said he wasn’t sure if it was right because he didn’t understand what it meant. I explained that I thought it was about simple pleasures in life. That this is really all we need to be happy.

His eyes cleared and he jumped to his feet saying, ‘Thank you! Thank you!’

Bewildered, I watched him run to the door. He stopped, turned, ran back to me, bowed (as if to a deity) and announced “Thank you!’ before turning again and running off.

I sat stunned, realising I’d just been used as a messenger. The young man hadn’t bowed to me, he’d bowed to the One he recognised working through me. I’d had no input, intent or gift of a teacher. I had simply been a tool.

But I had been left with a gift also – the answer to my question about finding a teacher.

There is only one.

And
“When the student is ready, the Master appears.”

And that One can work in and through every culture, every religion, every language and every …thing.

OK, so I agree that God uses Christians as means to his ends. I do NOT agree that there will ever be a point where the gospel ceases being preached. There will always be a remnant, always has been, always will be.